Vehicle body



T. ULRICH VEHICLE BODY Oct. 9, 1945.

Original Filed July 17, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet l IINVENTOR Tlwodore Ulrwh ATTORNEY T. ULRICH VEHICLE BODY Oct. 9,? 1945.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 17, 1941 {INVENTOR Theodo e U1 rwh -T. ULRICH VEHICLE BODY Oct. 9, 1945.

4 sneaks-sheet :5

Original Filed Ju ly 17, 1 941 INVENTOR Theodore [[Zr'wh/ By RM ATTORNEY [0a. 9, 1945. T, I H 2,386,280

VEHICLE BIODY Original Filed July 17, 1941 4 Sheets-She et 4 lNE ENTOR Theodore [finch A TTORNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1945 VEHICLE BODY Theodore Ulrich, Bridgeport, Conn., asslgnor to Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application July 17, 1941, Serial No. 402,877. Divided and this application April 23, 1942, Serial N0. 440,131

4 Claims. (Cl. 29628) It is among the objects of the invention tosimplify the construction of the vehicle as far as the motor suspension and adjacent parts are concerned.

A further object of the invention is to reduce the weight of the vehicle without decrease but rather accompanied by an increase of strength.

The invention has outstandingly to do with the motor suspension for self-sustaining bodies ofthe type disclosed in the inventors applications Serial No. 191,396, filed February 19, 1938, for End wall construction for vehicl bodies, now Patent No. 2,289,395; Serial No. 299,595, filed October 16, 1939, for Vehicle body; Serial No. 349,922, filed August 2, 1940, for Vehicle structure especially tonneau bottom structure, now Patent No. 2,370,- 211; in the application of Deisley, Ulrich and Lindsay, Serial No. 349,704, filed August 2, 1940,

for Vehicle structure especially vehicle front end structure, now Patent No. 2,380,031; in the application of the inventor and Lindsay, Serial No. 430,060, filed February 9, 1942, for Vehicle body underframe or chassis; and in the inventors applications Serial No. 402,878, filed July 17, 1941, for Body for vehicles, especially for pleasure automobiles; and Serial No. 402,877, filed July 17, 1941, for Wheel and motor suspension, especially for automobiles, of which the present application is a division.

The main features of the invention consist in in the arrangement of the motor suspension for an automobile in such a manner that the stresses are evenly distributed into the self-sustaining combined body and chassis structure.

Other features consist in improvements of the combined body and chassis structure itself by which greater strength and rigidity is attained and the attachment of the power unit and the wheel suspension is facilitated and improved.

Other objects and advantages of the invention,

as well as its details, will become apparent from -means for one wheel being indicated by dashand-dot lines;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the front end of the body partly in section along line 3-3 of Figure 1, yet on a smaller scale and extending over the entire width of the underframe structure and farther to the rear;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical, longitudinal section along line 4-4 of Figure 3 on a larger scale;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse section along line 55 of Figure 3 on about the scale of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a section similar to Figure 5, yet of a modified form of the motor suspension and on a smaller scale;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary plan view of the parts shown in Figure 6 on a larger scale;

Figures 8 and 9 are fragmentary sections along the correspondingly numbered lines of Figure 6 and on about the scale of Figure 7.

The construction of the self-sustained comis shown in the drawings, is in principle largely the same as disclosed in the before mentioned applications, especially in the aforesaid applications Serial No. 349,704, Patent No. 2,380,031, and Serial No. 402,878. 4

The front end structure of the body comprises outwardly facing channel-section sill members 20 with a bottom wall 2i, a lower side wall 22, an upper side wall 23, and marginal flanges 24, 25. These sill members 20 are connected to and rearwardly continued by similarly shaped sill members 20'. The flanges 24, 25 serve for fastening, such as by electric spot welding, each member 20 to the adjacent body side wall panel 26 which constitutes, in the front region, the skirt of the wheel housing, and is covered in the finished car by the fender 21, a fragmentary part of the latter being shown in section in Figure 2. The details of the fender arrangement are disclosed in the inventors aforesaid application Serial No;

The side wall panels. 26, on different sides of the car, are interconnected by the dash board 28 and the toe board 29. The forward portions of the sill members 20, and the side panels 26 are braced by upwardly and rearwardly inclined members 30. The 'members 30 are Z-shaped in section having a web 3i, an outer arm 32 and an inner arm 33. The outer arm 32 overlies and is fastened to the inner side of the panel 28, such as by spot welding. The margin of the inner arm' 33 is connected to a flanged angle-section member 8|, which latter forms with the web II and the flange 88 of the member 30, a box-section structure. The upper ends of the members 30 and 34 are rigidly connected to the dash board 28, and their lower ends to the sill member 20. The general arrangement of the dash and toe boards 28, 28 and of the reinforcements 80, 34 and the connection of these members to the side panels 28 and to the sill. members 20, are substantially the same as described, for instance, in the aforesaid application Serial Nth-349,704, Patent No. 2,380,031.

Each side sill member 201s reinforced in its interior by a channel-section member 85 which extends from the front end of the sill members to a point slight y behind the dash board 28. In

the region of the connection between the side sill members and the inclined reinforcements 80, a cross sill 38 is inserted. This cross-member consists of a downwardly-facing channel-section member with an upper bottom wall 38, side walls 38 and marginal flanges 80. The open mouth of the member 88 is closed by a strip ll which is fastened. such as by electric spot welding, to the flanges 48. The ends of the member 38 are provided with extensions 02 and tongues 03 by means of which they overlap and are fastened to the side sill members 20. The member II likewise overlaps with its end extension 44 the side sill 20 and is fastened thereto. The cross member 38 is downwardly bent between the two side sill members 20 so as to make room for the motor unit. Brackets 45 on the cross-member 88 serve for the support of the front end of the motor unit by means of resilient cushions (not shown). The connection between the cross-member 88 and the side sill members 20 is further reinforced by trian ular brackets 48, generally angle-shaped in cross-section. One arm of these brackets overlaps and is fastened to the flange 00 of the crossmember 88. whereas the other arm overlaps and is fas ened to the lower side wall 22 of the side sill member 20. k

A bracket plate I! on each side of the body. having a g ne ally transversely and vertically are ran d web 48 and marginal forwardl directed of the plate 58 is reinforced by a-downwardly directedflange". x T i In the region of the overlap between the plates l1 and 52, a transverse tubular member 80 is fastened by means of bolts 8i. The structure composed of the plates 41, 52, 58 and the crossmember 60 affords a very substantial reinforcement for the combined body'and chassis construction in this region for a purpose which will become apparent from the following description of the wheel suspension proper.

Each of the two front wheels (not shown) is rotatably supported on a stub axle 84. The bifurcated inner portion 85 of each stub axle 84 is supported rotatably about a substantially vertical axis on a king pin 66 between an upper collar 81 and a lower collar member 80. Rigidly connected to and preferably forming one integral portion with the king pin 88 is an upwardly dibearing 14 which is secured by bolts I5 to the inforced by flange 53 of the plate 52.

flan es l9 and 50. has its upper end attached to the lowermarainal portion of the dash board 28. The flange 49 of this plate is fastened to the adjacent side panel member 25. In the lower re on. the member 41 overla s and is fastened to the inner wall 2| of the sde sill member by means of a rearward y dir cted fl n e 5I.

The lower p rtion of each plate 41 is reinforced by a second plate 52 wh ch overlaps and is fasten d. such as by soot weld n to the web 48 of the plate 41. The lower margin of the plate 52 is provided with a forwardly direc ed flange 53 and the out r mar n with a forwardly d rected flange 54. wh ch latter is continued by an inwardly directed flange 55. The flange 54 overlaps and is fastened to the flange 89 of the plate 41. The main body of the plate 52 is cut out so as to accommodate the side sill member 20. and the cut-out portion as well as the flange 55 are fastened to the top wall 23 of the side sill membet-20.

A th rd bracket plate 58 underlies and is fastened to the flange 53 of plate 52 and the lower wall 22 of the adjacent side sill member 20. The rearwardly and inwardly inclined forward margin Journalled to the king pin extension 09 at I8 is the apex of a second V- or triangular-shaped member I9 having the inner ends of its arms iournalled in bearings 82, 83, respectively. The bearing 82 is bolted to the panel 28 and the sill member 20, which latter are reinforced In this region such as by a plate 84. The bearing 83 is bolted to the side panel 28 in the region where the latter is reinforced by the flange I! of the plate 41 and the flanges 50, 55 of the plate 52.

The inner ends of the arms of the upper link I! are rigidly connected'or integrally formed with a short downwardly extending lever 89. The free end of this lever is provided with an exchangeable rubber cushion 90. Excessive downward movement of the links M will bring the cushions 00 in contact with the bracket 92-Figure 1- attached to the side sill member 20.

Journalled to the king pin extension 69 by means of a. bolt 85 is a plate 98 which holds and supports the lower end of a rubber-covered helical spring 91. The upper end of this spring is fastened to a bracket 98 by means of a bolt and nuts 89, plates I00, and two rubber cushions III. The bracket 98 has its inner endfastened by bolt I02 to the'side panel 26 and the inclined brace 80. The side wall is reinforced in this region by a welded-on heavy outer stamping I08, and the brace 30 is reinforced by a welded-on angle-section bracket I04.

The bracket 98 is provided on both sides of its connection to the spring 91 with wings I05. Stay bolts I05 extend through holes of and are fastened to these wings I05. The stay bolts I08 have their lower ends extended through and fastened to the lower marginal portions of the panel 28 and the sill members 20. In the region of the connection of the lower ends of the stay bolts I05, the outer panel 26 and the sill 20 are appropriately reinforced by plates, bolt spacers and reinforcing brackets. The panel 20 has outwardly directed projections I08 which accommodate the lower ends of the stay bolts1l08fand the rubber cushions III to a web II2 provided in the angle between the arms of the lower link II. The upper end of the. shock absorber is fastened by means of rubber cushions H3 in a recess II I of the reinforcing member I03 and of the panel 26Figures 1 and 2. The stub axle part 35 is rigidly connected to a steering lever H5.

The dashboard 28, the toe board 23 and the rearwardly adjacent portions I of the body floor panel proper all have their central portions I2I, I22, I23 bent respectively rearwardly and upwardly so as to make room for the rear portions of the power unit. Parts of these portions I2I, I22, I23 may be constituted by a customary removable cover (not shown) giving access to the change-speed gear and the clutch of the power unit I24.

At both sides of the portions I2I, I22, I23 reinforcing members I 25 are arranged which extend over a part of the vertical portion of the fastened such as by spot welding to the panels 28, 29 and I20.

The substantially horizontal rear portions of the members I25 are interconnected by a brace I23. This brace I23 is a channel having a bottom wall I30 and marginal flanges I3I. The central portion of the brace is downwardly bent and provided in its interior with-a rubber block I32.carrying an adhesively connected plate I33 attached to the rear end of the motor unit I24. The ends of the brace I23 are connected to' the bottom walls I25 of the members I25 by means of bolts I34 passing through the widened ends of the flanges I3 I. dampening material are inserted between the flanges I3I and the wal1s I25. I

From the drawing and the foregoing part of the description, it will have become apparent that the weight of the rear end 01' the motor unit is distributed by means of the brace I23 and the members I25 over a wide area of the dash-, toe-. and floor-board panels 23, 23, I20 and from Layers I35 of vibration brations owing to the number and the great supporting area of the rubber cushions I4I, I42, I43.

The attached drawings show and the foregoing specification describes often the construction on the one side only of a longitudinal or transverse plane of symmetry, because it is deemed unnecessary to encumber the drawings and specification where the complementary structure on the other side of such plane is quite obvious to anyone skilled in the art.

It will be understood that the invention is liable to many modifications without departing from 3 its principles. For instance, the new system of transmitting the stresses directly into the body panels may be applied to other types of bodies and it may, for instance, be used in cars where the motor is not located at the front end.

All those modifications and adaptations of the invention are intended to be covered by the appended claims, with the exception of such subject matter as is claimed in applicant's co-pending application Serial No. 402,877, filed July 17, 1941, for Wheel and motor suspension, especially for automobiles, of which the present application is a division.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle body structure comprising a floor panel provided at one end with an upwardly directed panel extension, a pair of elongated reinforcing members attached to and extending longitudinally from substantially the region of said extension over a minor part only of said panel in the region adjoining said extension, said members being spaced from each other and from for the support of part of the driving gear may be attached.

2. In a vehicle body structure according to claim 1, comprising 'a cross member extending" between and fastened to said reinforcing members as means for the support of part of the there into the remainder of the body structure such as into the side panels 23 and the sill members 20, 20'. The vibrations of the motor are prevented from being transmitted into the body by means of the rubber block I32 and the inserts I35. I

In the modification of the rear motor suspension. as illustrated in Figures 6 to 9, the short brace I23 .of the first embodiment is replaced by a long cross sill I 38 likewise U-sectional with a bottom wall I33 and marginal flanges I40 and a motor supporting cushion MI in its central section. This brace I33 is fastened by means of brackets I40 and resilient such as rubber cushions I42 to the members I25, and its ends are fastened by another set of resilient cushions I43 to the lower walls of the side sill members 20'.

driving gear.

3. In a vehicle body structure comprising a floor panel provided at one end with an upwardv lydirected panel extension and connected to through running side sill structures. a pair oi. elongated reinforcing members attached to and extending longitudinally over a minor part only of said panel in the region of said extension, said members being spaced from each other and'arranged between said sill structures, a transverse member extending substantially over the entire width of the floor panel and having its ends attached to said sill structures and being. in its middle region arranged beneath and fastened to said reinforcing members: said transverse member being adapted to support between said reinforcing members a portion of the driving mechanism of the vehicle. I I

I THEODORE ULRICH. 

